In the process of xerography, a light image of an original to be copied is typically recorded in the form of a latent electrostatic image upon a photosensitive or a photoconductor member with subsequent rendering of the latent image visible by the application of particulate thermoplastic material, commonly referred to as toner. The visual toner image can be either fixed directly upon the photosensitive member or the photoconductor member or transferred from the member to another support, such as a sheet of plain paper, with subsequent affixing by, for example, the application of heat and pressure of the image thereto.
To affix or fuse toner material onto a support member like paper, by heat and pressure, it is usually necessary to elevate the temperature of the toner and simultaneously apply pressure sufficient to cause the constituents of the toner to become tacky and coalesce. In both the xerographic as well as the electrographic recording arts, the use of thermal energy for fixing toner images onto a support member is known.
One approach to the heat and pressure fusing of toner images onto a support has been to pass the support with the toner images thereon between a pair of pressure engaged roller members, at least one of which is internally heated. For example, the support may pass between a fuser roller and a pressure roller. During operation of a fusing system of this type, the support member to which the toner images are electrostatically adhered is moved through the nip formed between the rollers with the toner image contacting the fuser roll thereby to effect heating of the toner images within the nip.
Also known are centrifugal molding processes to obtain seamless polyimide belts useful as fuser members. Typically, a thin fluorine or silicone release layer is applied to the inner surface of a rigid cylindrical mandrel, and a polyimide coating is applied to the inner surface of the mandrel containing the release layer and where the polyimide is cured and then released from the mandrel. There are a number of disadvantages relating to the aforementioned processes such as that the length of the polyimide belt is determined by the size of the mandrel and that there is a requirement of a release layer on the inner surface of the mandrel which can be costly and which involves an additional process step. Thus, without an added release layer the polyimide usually will not self release without any external efforts.
There is a need for xerographic fusing members that substantially avoid or minimize the disadvantages of a number of known fusing members.
Also, there is a need for fuser member materials that possess self-release characteristics from a number of substrates that are selected when such members are prepared.
There is also a need for fusing members that are selected for the heat fusing of developed images in xerographic processes, and where the members are free of a separate release layer.
Yet another need resides in providing a fusing member and fusing seamless belts that can be generated at a cost lower than those fuser members that contain a release layer.
Additionally, there is a need for fusing members and seamless belts thereof that contain compositions that can be economically and efficiently manufactured.
Further, there is a need for fusing members with a combination of excellent mechanical properties thereby extending the life time thereof and with stable substantially consistent characteristics as illustrated herein, and where only a single coating layer is needed.
These and other needs are achievable in embodiments with the fuser members and components thereof disclosed herein.